Cattle food and method of preparing same



- Patented Sept. 23, 1941. I

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE- Herbert H. Whitcomb, Littleton, Mass.

' No Drawing. Application April 26, 1938,

- Serial No. 204,351

4- Claims. (01. 99-2) This invention relates to a food for cattle and obvious and in part specifically described hereinto a method for preparing the same. 4 after. a

Milk has long been recognized as an ideal food L Briefly, my invention contemplates a cattle because it contains, in proper proportions and in food comprising finely cut hay or grass, or a easily assimilated forms, the elements which are 5 mixture of the two, saturated with milk to which essential for normal human growth and develop- .has been added a suitable carbohydrate, such as ment. This is also to a large degree true of milk molasses, and properly salted and then brought in skimmed form, because theseparation of the 1 into a condition of mild fermentation. The incream from the milk removes chiefly the fats vention further contemplates a method for preand does not materially afiect, the mineral conparing the food consistingin cutting hayor grass, stltuents. Among the various elements found in or a mixtureof the two, to a small size, placing milk are considerable quantities of calcium and it in a suitable container and immersing it in phosphorous in easily assimilated forms, the milk flavored with a suitable carbohydrate and former of which is necessary for bone structure salt, then closing the container to make it air and the latter of which contributes to the prolific 5 g t a d Perm e mixture to stand until characteristics. Unless these constituents are the hay or grass or mixture has become thoroughsuppli'ed in proper quantity by grain or special 1y saturated with the milk solution and has foods, the cattle may be more or less deficient in reached a condition in which fermentation calcium and phosphorous, due to the lack of sufiibeen set up. cient quantities of these elements in the hay or I pr paring the food, :hfly or grass of any grass upon which they feed. variety such as timothy, clover, blue grass or al- Unless the pasture where the cattle feed during falfa, or a mixture of them, may be used andis the pasturage season, or the ground from which first cut or chopped into small pieces approxithe hay is cut, is properly fertilized to renew the mately One-half i q t p p e. any calcium and phosphorous taken from the soil by ,2 suitable device may be used such as a hammer the grass or hay, these substances are gradually mill which also crushes the material which is of exhausted and the'grass or hay becomes deficient advantage. The cut material is then placed in- 1 in both. This lack might cause, in time, a deany suitable container capable of being closedto terioration in the bone structure and the prolific make it relatively air tight. characteristics of the cattle. Although milk as A milk solution is then prepared by taking a a food is as beneficial for cattle as it is for suitable quantity preferably of pasteurized humans, yet it is a well-known fact that mature skimmed milk and mixing with it any suitable,

cattlewillnot ordinarily drink milk. carbohydrate such as cane molasses in proper The general object of my invention i the proproportions. A-small amount ofsalt is then addvision of a food for cattle which is cheap, palataed. I have found tha a mixture of seventy p t ble, well balanced, and highly digestible, and by weight of the milk to five parts of the carwhich contains all the chemical elements necesbohydrate and one part of salt is very satisfactory sary for normal growth and maintenance of the and gives good-results, but these proportions may best conditions of health. be varied within reasonable limits. These ingre- A more specific object of the invention is the 40 dients are thoroughly mixed by stirring or agitaprovision of a food of the character described tion in a suitable container and the solution is which contains a large percentage of nutritive preferably heated to a temperature-ofirom llq products derived fromamilk in a form which catdegrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit either during tle will eat and which is easilyassimilable to proor after the mixing. The warm solution when vide them with adequate quantities of calcium prepared is poured over the-cut hay or grass and phosphorous. a which is then tamped down to compress it into a Another object is the provision of a method for compact body. Additional cut material is then preparing the food which is simple and can be placed in the container and tamped down until carried out as a part of the daily routine by 'any .it is filled and additional solution is added to imfarmer to meet the food requirements oi his catmerse completely the hay or grass. The 'solutle.

- which permits the food to be canned and kept inf tive proportions of the cut material and themilk definitely for future use. solution will vary tosome extent dependent upon Other objects of theinventionwill be in part 5 the amount or moisture present in .the hay or v r .l tion must be sufiicient in amount to cover com- A further object is the provision of a method ypletely the hay or grass when tamped. The r'ela- -tive proportions are controlled,

-to twelve pounds of water.

between what is known as grass, but I have found that these proportions, when hay is used, will approximate 25% by weight of the cut material to 75% of the solution. When grass alone is used, the percentage of the solution will be somewhat reduced. These relahowever, by using an amount of the solution suiiicient to cover completely the tamped material.

After this has been done, the container is then closed to exclude air and the mixture is allowed to stand for approximately twenty-four hours, during which time a fermentation takes place and the proper change of the contents has been reached. During this period, thermophilic bacteria in the hay act on the sugars to produce to this grass at the'lactic'and amino acids in the solution and under these conditions to further acton the hay or grass to break down cellulose and starches in their internal portions and to bring about the desired degree of fermentation, yielding food acids. There is a temperature rise of about 130 F. before the container is opened, and the silage therein will be found to be comparatively free of unabsorbed liquid and warm, sticky and extremely palatable for live stock. It is then ready for use.

Whole pasteurized milk may be used for the solution, or powdered skimmed or whole milk where the liquid form is not available. When the powdered form is used, it is mixed with water in the proportions of one pound of powder The'mixture, however, must be heated and agitated until the powder is thoroughly dissolved.

The use of skimmed or whole milk in powa dered form will be found preferable in localities where the farmer does not produce a surplus of either in liquid form sumcient for the preparation of the food, and it is preferable to buying; the whole or skimmed liquid milk from other sources. In the process of reducing milk to the powdered form, all impurities are eliminated, but in the purchase of liquid milk from other sources, the farmer is not assured that t may not be contaminated by impurities.

As hereinbefore described, my method contemplates themediate use, but by a slight variation of the method, the prepared food may be canned for future use. It may, in such case, be put up in metallic cans or drums of 100, 200, or 300 pounds capacity,'and then immediately sealing the can. The cans may be kept for future use, or they maybe shipped for use in other localities.

Although the canning method can be used for food made from hay or grass or a mixture of them, it is of special advantage in the case where fresh grass is the base. 3

Fresh grass contains a considerable amount of vitamin A and carotene. Vitamin A acts upon and benefits the nervous system.- imparts the yellow color to the cream. When grass is dried into hay, some. of the vitamin A and a large proportion of the carotene disappear. When cows are fed in; pasture or with green grass, they are in better physical condition and produce milk having the desirable deep yellow color, but when fed on hay, the reduced amount of vitamin A and carotene in the hay tends to lower the physical condition of the cattle and also to lessen the yellow color in'the milk. This is especially noted by the difference "summer milk and winter milk. In the milk produced in the winter, when the cows are fed on hay,

preparation of the food for 'im-- The carotene by the farmer from day lower nutritional value from a vitamin standpoint than during the summer months. This lessening is to a marked degree. Fresh grass, in many places, can be obtained only in the summer months, and if the processis applied that time, and the foodis put up in cans properly sealed, it is thenavailable for use in the winter months to advantage.

In using the food, I have found that the best results appear to be secured by feeding from thirty to forty pounds of the food to each animal daily.

I have found that the use of a cattle food prepared in accordance with my invention has a great many advantages. The general health of the cattle shows a marked improvement in all respects within a relatively short period. The condition of the .skin improves and the hair becomes smooth and oily. I have noticed a large increase in the amount of urine, in some cases to the extent of 50% more. The feces show no undigested masses and appears. identical with the feces when the cattle are out at pasture, which is the best time of the year. I have determined the general improvement of the cattle in these respects by careful observation during prepared food.

I have found from this silage for milch actual experience in using cows that within a period of several weeks after starting the feed, the cost of grain and hay per cow decreased 50%; that the milk production per cow increased from two to four pounds daily; and that the body weight of each cow increased from twenty-five to fifty pounds. When cattle are fed with this food dur ing the gestation period, the calves weigh from eighty to eighty-five pounds at the time of birth, whereas, normally the weight is approximately sixty pounds. Also, during the lactation period, the production of milk is uniformly increased and shows less falling off toward the end of that period than heretofore.

Other advantages are that it can be prepared u to day with very little capital outlay and without the addition of transportation costs or other expenses. It further enables each farmer to control, in a profitable manner, his surplus production of milk, since he can supply his dealer with suchfluid milk and cream as he requires and retain for the preparation of this food his surplus milk, either whole or skimmed, which contains proteins, sugars, starches, vitamins and enzymes which are thus utilized for promoting the health, growth and milk production of his cattle.

It is'to be understood that the foregoing deand may be varied within certain limits. While hydrate for the milk I prefer the use of cane molasses as the carbosolution, it may be that other carbohydrates having the same essential the milk is of What I claim is: 1. A cattle food cium and phosphorous in the food all in a state of mild fermentation only, with further fermentation prevented, and in which the thermophilic bacteria in the hay or grass have reacted on the sugars to produce lactic and amino acids and to break down the internal portions of said hay or grass.

2. A cattle food comprising finely cut hay or grass saturated with a suflicient amount of milk and a carbohydrate, such as cane molasses, to provide substantial quantities of protein, calcium and phosphorous in the food which cattle food has undergone mild fermentation for a period of approximately twenty-four hours at a temperature of approximately 110 to 120, and which has thereafter been prevented from further fermentation.

3. The herein described method of. preparing a cattle food consisting in'mixing in a suitable container finely cut my or grass in a suflicient amount of a milk solution containing a carbohydrate to provide substantial quantities of protein, calcium and phosphorous in the food, closing the container, permitting said mixture to stand only until the contents have reached a" state of mild fermentation whereby the ther-.

mophilic bacteria in the hay or grass react on the sugars to produce lactic and amino acid and to break down the internal portions ofsaid hay or grass, and thereafter preventing further fermentation.

4. The herein described method of preparing a cattle food consisting in mixing in a suitable container finely cuthay or grass with a sufllcient amount of milk solution containing a carbohydrate to provide substantial quantities of protein, calcium and phosphorous in the food, the solution being heated to a temperature of approximately 110 to 120 F., closing the container, permitting said mixture to stand for a period of only approximately twenty-four hours whereby the thermophilic bacteria in the hay or grass react on the sugars to produce lactic and amino acids and to break down the internal portions of said hay or grass, and thereafter preventing further reaction and breakdown.

HERBERT H. WHITCOMB. 

